Sentinel staff report–
Thousands of customers with unclaimed money from the Sacramento Municipal Utility District have until Dec. 20 at 5 p.m. before the funds will become the property of SMUD.
As reported last month, more than 3,000 customers have unclaimed money, with amounts ranging from as little as $15 to more than $5,000 each.
While most names listed are for personal names of customers, business customers are also included on the list. Western Energy and Water, a Sacramento-based legal services company, appears to top the list with an unclaimed check totaling $6,419. Bed Bath & Beyond is also listed with a $5,600 unclaimed check along with an additional $4,400 check listed for the same company.
In a statement accompanying an alphabetized list of customer names and unclaimed dollar amounts on its website, SMUD says “if your name or the name of a family member is on the list we encourage you to follow up.”
According to SMUD, the uncashed checks are all dated between Oct. 1, 2017 and Sept. 30, 2018. Under California Government Code Section 50050-50057, money “that is not the property of a local agency that remains unclaimed in its treasury or in the official custody of its officers for three years is the property of the local agency after notice if not claimed or if no verified complaint is filed and served.”
SMUD previously told The Sentinel the utility district goes through the process of trying to unite checks with customers each year and said the checks are mostly refunds on customer accounts that were never cashed.
Click here to view the list of customers with unclaimed checks.
To make a claim, customers can call (916) 732-7440 and provide the claimant’s name, current address and telephone number, and the address used during the time period Oct. 1, 2017 to Sept. 30, 2018.